CITY TAKE TITLE DEFENCE TO WEST HAM
Manchester City will begin their Premier League title defence as they visit West Ham United this afternoon having already secured a piece of silverware. The topflight champions withstood a Liverpool fightback to claim the Community Shield in a penalty sho
Manchester City have Premier League immortality in their sights as they start their title defence this weekend, but Liverpool’s burning desire to get their hands on the trophy will fuel a heavyweight battle for supremacy. In the blue corner, treble winners City are at the peak of their powers and look capable of enjoying a period of sustained dominance not seen since Manchester United earned three successive Premier League titles from 2007 to 2009.
But in the red corner, European champions Liverpool, chasing a first English title since 1990, have more than a puncher’s chance of ending City’s reign after pushing Pep Guardiola’s side all the way to the final day last season.
The first blows was landed this week as Liverpool kicked off the new Premier League campaign
against promoted Norwich at Anfield yesterday, before City head to West Ham today.
Sunday’s no- holds- barred Community Shield clash showed the growing rivalry between England’s pre- eminent teams, with City beating Liverpool on penalties following a 1- 1 draw that underlined how little there is to separate the sides.
Adding Atletico Madrid’s Rodri for a club- record £ 63 million gives Guardiola an even greater embarrassment of riches.
With five major trophies over the past two seasons – including Premier League crowns clinched with unprecedented hauls of 100 and then 98 points, City are the bookmakers’ favourites to become only the second club to win a hat-trick of English titles in the past 35 years after United did it twice.
Guardiola is a keen student of football history and has revelled in City’s record-breaking feats, so the opportunity to further bolster his team’s credentials as one of England’s all-time greats will not be lost on the Spaniard.
Although City have never won the Champions League and Guardiola last lifted it back in 2011 with Barcelona, he said domestic bliss remains his preferred passion.
“To maintain the health and focus of the team, the most important thing is the Premier League,” Guardiola said.
“It is the standout competition because it is every weekend. In the Champions League, many things can happen in one or two games. We will be closer to achieving in Europe when we have more Premier League titles. That is a nice process and the right process to do at Manchester City. If I could have one thing this season, right now, it would definitely be the title.”
It would be a surprise if Liverpool do not make City sweat right to the finish once again after bouncing back from last season’s agonising near-miss in the title race by winning their sixth European Cup.
No team has ever gathered more points without winning the Premier League than second-placed Liverpool did last season with their tally of 97.
Jurgen Klopp’s side lost just once in their 38 league games – crucially that defeat came against City but their 2-0 Champions League final win over Tottenham ensured there was no title hangover.
Liverpool had the Premier League’s meanest defence last season and boast an attack featuring two of the campaign’s three leading scorers in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Despite that wealth of talent, Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum admits making a fast start is essential to stop City establishing a stranglehold at the top.
“You just have to collect as many points as possible, especially in the beginning, and try to build a team who will be even better at the end of the season,” Wijnaldum said.
“We can try and do even better than last season. Basically it starts now because now we have the whole team together.”
Challengers to City and Liverpool are likely to be thin on the ground.
Since winning the Europa League, Chelsea have lost star playmaker Eden Hazard to Real Madrid and hired an idolised but inexperienced new manager in Frank Lampard, who is working under the club’s transfer ban.
Guardiola suggests Manchester United are contenders after making £ 80- million- man Harry Maguire the world’s most expensive defender and landing young talents Aaron Wan- Bissaka and Daniel James.
But it is hard to imagine United, who ended 32 points adrift of City in sixth place, bridging that gap this season.
Arsenal have the look of pretenders rather than contenders, while Tottenham have not invested enough to satisfy boss Mauricio Pochettino despite a paying a club record of around £ 54 million for Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele.
However, the standout fixture for this weekend is the visit of Chelsea to Manchester United.
Frank Lampard might have hoped to ease his way into the Chelsea hotseat at his beloved Stamford Bridge but his top- flight managerial bow takes place on hostile territory - Old Trafford.
The return of Chelsea’s record goalscorer to west London as manager was the most intriguing development of the summer and Sunday’s blockbuster is the standout clash as the Premier League cranks back into life.
Lampard will start with goodwill aplenty but needs only to look as far as the United bench during Sunday’s baptism of fire to know that being a club great takes you only so far.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed a dream start to life as Manchester United manager last season, taking 26 points from his first 10 league games after replacing Jose Mourinho.
But the bounce did not last and the Norwegian will find himself under intense scrutiny as fans seek tangible evidence that United can challenge City.
Solskjaer has been backed in the transfer market with Swansea City flying machine Daniel James and Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka snapped up before United this week paid an eye-watering 80 million pounds ($97 million) for Leicester City’s commanding England centre back Harry Maguire.
While United have spent big, Chelsea’s transfer ban has taken them on a new course and Lampard will continue the methods that served him well at second-tier Derby County last season and promote youngsters such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and the currently injured Callum Husdon-Odoi.
Lampard can still call upon plenty of top-quality internationals such as France midfield anchor N’Golo Kante and Willian, but Chelsea appear short on attacking star quality now that Eden Hazard has departed for Real Madrid.
American striker Christian Pulisic is their only new addition, having signed in January before returning to Borussia Dortmund on loan, so Lampard will be given breathing space.
The status quo is likely to remain in the top six and the early weeks might offer clues as to the order.
Tottenham over- achieved last year after signing no players and having to play home games at Wembley until April, plus dealing with injuries to leading striker Harry Kane.
This time they start in their 62 000- seater stadium, have Kane fresh and in 65 million- pound midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, signed from Olympique Lyonnais, have made a statement signing.
Today’s opponents Aston Villa, back in the top flight after being relegated in 2016, have signed 12 new players and look the bestequipped of the promoted sides to survive.
Arsenal, fifth last season, travel to Newcastle United on Sunday where the hosts’ manager Steve Bruce will hope to placate the fans still angry at the departure of Rafa Benitez.